Mariner s time-compass



Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. REEDER.

Mariners Time Compass. Y Ne. 44,964. Patented Feb. v9, 1847.

@ emmm f 2 Sheets- Sheet 2. R. REEDER.

Mariners Time Compass. No. 4,964. Patented Feb. 9, 1847.

'RALPH REEDER,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. i

lMAnrivnrvs TIME-compass- 'i ySpecieaton of Letters Patent 1\T o. 4,9614, dated February Q,

To all (whom/.it `may concern.:

Be it` known that I, RALrr-i REEDER, .of t-he city; -ofCincinnat-i, 4in the county of .Hamiltonand State of Ohio, have invented -a new and usefulManner of Constructing -Instrumentsto be' Used in Naviga-tion and Surveying and for lother Purposes; and I doherebyl declare thatv the following is a.

circle, yor plate, the outer rim ofwhich is full andlexact., description thereof.

t chrono pyxis nautica. or M ariners time '.compass, itsf'fintentic-n being to obviate the I defects of the magnetic needle either at sea 1 or nn land, where Ait traverses badly or not yat all, vas itgmay lbe .used without the aid .Orgueily a, needieanawin enable' the 0b;-

yserver yto yfind-.thel latitude of the place at anytime of the day, and also the meridian timel of; such place;' which' elements are .easily converted into longitude. These eifects are dependentmainly upon the manner in which` I have combined a chronometer vand an universal sundial with the graduated circles and arcs duly arranged for the purpose and which constitute the main body of thek instrument; which combination and arrangement I will now proceed to describe by the aid of the accompanying drawings which make a part of this specitication.

In the drawings referred to, Figure l is an elevation of the instrument which is suspended, on gimbals in the ordinary manner" of suspending the mariners compass. Fig. -2 is a top view of the upper plate or circle of the instrument showing the face ofthe chromometer; the manner of graduating its surrounding circle and of adjusting the parts to each other. Fig. 3 is a top view of the lower plate, having on it the cardinal points with a circle divided into 360 degrees, and a nonius for adjusting the upper circle thereto.

In each of these figures where like parts occur they are designated by the same letters of reference. l

A is the lower plate containing'the cardinal points and graduated into degrees and minutes. .This is furnished with a vspirit level as shownA at B Fig. 3. From the center of this plate rises the standard C, that sustains the upper portion of the instrument which standard revolves on said plate as a center. The standard C carries a nonius D which rests on the lo-wer plate A, by means of which the instrument may be accurately set to the known course of a vessel.

4'lvhis.instrument I have denominated the tached to the arms I, I, sustains a small vlens vat O, the focallength o-f which is equal ,by means of the adjusting weights E E E,

three of which may be attached to the main counterpoise F, and one to theupper part .of the instrumentas seen atEf Fig. l; or

in4 other modes that will produce a like effect.y 1

G, Figs. l and 2 is the upper, .or hour divided into' twice twelve, or twenty-four hours, and into minutes. `At nonius I-I on one of the .arms I, I, attached to a rim I `moves round on this circle, the opposite arm carrying the declination arc orsegment. J, which is made fast thereto. Upon this segy mentthere is a slide K which isfurnished l with a noniu's 4index L 'by means of which it `may be accurately set to anyffdesired degree of declination-said degrees being laid 7 1 oft' on the arc o'r segment J. The slide K carries a plate M, the face of which islshown in Fig. 4; and the brass arch Nthat is` atto the distance between it and the face o f the plate M.` This plate. is shown las having horizontal lines drawn on it, leaving a small square at their intersection, designating the pointl on whichthe focus of the lens should fall, when the instrument is adjusted. When'this instrument is to be used at sea, I draw other lines parallel to, and voutside of, those shown in the face of the plate M by means of which any number of horizontal and vertical deviations from the focal point may be observed and the mean obtained.

The graduated semicircle P, that is attached to the under side of the hour circle ,l G, is the latitude arch; its divisions being 95',y read off by means of. the fixed graduated segment Q. The upper circle G, and the yparts appended to it, turn accurately on arethe centers of the latitude arch P.

R is the gnomon, consisting of a semicircular wire or narrow strip of metal which is made fast to the arbor of the ho-ur hand ofa chronometer, the face of which chronometer is shown at S, and is represented as divided into twice twelve hours; around this there is another circle T that is also divided into twice twelve hours, and into minutes; the circles G and T, receive the shadow of the gnomon, and on them are read oft" its indications, l The respective parts thus compivots U, in the standard C, which pivotsl j" which are essential in the construction and operation of this instrument. The tightening screws that are necessary to hold the parts in place when adjusted are the same as in other instruments of a like character.

In using this instrument when on a voyage, the intended course ofthe vessel being known, the first adjustment is to set the nonius index D to said course on the graduated plate A. The plate M is then set to the declinaticn by means of the declination arch J. The next operation to place the instrument ina proper position for allowing the suns rays to fall on the lens O; and on the inner edge of the destination arch, and the circle Gr is then to be elevated or depressed,

. as the case may be, until the focal point is therefore7 that all the elements necessary for ascertaining the longitude and latitude. at any time, are fully given.

The apparatus as herein represented and described is not furnished with a compass needle; this not being necessary to its operation, but it may be advantageously combined with the mariners or surveyors compass if desired.

lThe instrument so constructed will serve to solve practically all the problems that can be solved by the armillary sphere, or by spherical trigonometry so far as circles and their motions are concerned. As, for example, having the declination and the time given it will show the altitude and latitude, or having the declination and the meridian given it vwill give both the time and the latitude at any hour and at any place.

Having thus fully described the manner in which I construct my mariners time compass and also the means of practically using the same, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- The manner herein set forth of combining a chronometer, and an universal sun dial with the respective circlesand arcs of circles containing the graduations for vthe course, or'points of the compass, the hours, the latitude and altitude. The respective parts being arranged and operating substantially in the manner, andl for the purpose, herein fully made known; and this I claim whether the said parts be formed precisely in thea manner herein described and represented, or in any other that is the same in its principles and results.

y RALPH REEDER.

Witnesses ANDREW MGMICKEN, N. RIARDEN. 

